Redmond Scores Twice As Duke Downs Kentucky, 3-1

Friday, September 5

Chapel Hill, N.C.

5:00 p.m.

Duke University

4-0-0

Kentucky

1-2-0

Kentucky

Duke

Redmond Scores Twice As Duke Downs Kentucky, 3-1

9/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Duke Sports Information

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? The ninth-ranked Duke women's soccer team opened the Nike Carolina Classic on Friday with a 3-1 victory over Kentucky (1-2), which was played at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The two squads kicked off the match with cloudy skies and some light rain and finished with a steady shower as tropical storm Hanna approached the area on Friday. With the victory, The Blue Devils improved to 4-0 for the first time under the direction of Head Coach Robbie Church and it marks the first time since 2000 that Duke has opened the season 4-0.

“One of our focus goals is to score early,” said Church. “Once you score you set the tempo, you get other teams to drop their head a little bit and you have opportunities to get another one. It is something that is very important and we have worked hard at doing. Obviously, we have done a nice job of scoring early.”

The Blue Devils got on the board in the first 10 minutes of the contest as senior Kelly McCann played a ball down the right corner to sophomore Marybeth Kreger, who sent a perfect cross to junior KayAnne Gummersall. Gummersall, a native of Wilmette, Ill., leaped towards the ball and sent a shot off her hip into the left corner of the net for her third goal of the season.

“It has always been one of our goals to bring it in the first five minutes of the game and continue to pressure the whole half,” said Gummersall. “Kentucky was a bigger and more physical team than we have seen so it was a great test, especially for Notre Dame which is coming up on Sunday.”

Duke stayed on the attack for the entire first half and added a second goal in the 27th minute as senior Lorraine Quinn and Gummersall found junior Elisabeth Redmond in the middle of the box. Redmond, who is from Morristown, N.J., chipped in her fourth goal of the season as she found the top right corner of the net.

“The goal came from our backs and moved it through our midfield,” said Redmond. “It had a great buildup as I think six people touched the ball -- all one-touch passes. Then, KayAnne laid it off to me at the top of the 18. I wasn't really marked.”

Senior Kelly Hathorn almost put the Blue Devils ahead 3-0 in the 40th minute after Sheila Kramer sent a high kick in from almost midfield. A product of Durham, N.C., Hathorn grabbed a loose ball and fired a shot at the Kentucky goal, but the Wildcat keeper, Sydney Hiance, got her leg in the way to deflect the shot away.

“We came out really hard [tonight],” said Redmond. “That really helped us set the momentum for the game.”

As a team, the Blue Devils outshot the Wildcats 12-3 over the first 45 minutes and led 2-0.

“I thought we were brilliant in the first half,” said Church. “I thought we were really, really good. It was very fortunate not to be 4-0 at halftime. The goalkeeper made some really nice saves. I thought we passed, we moved, we attacked off the dribble, were aggressive and were hungry. Those are two words [aggressive and hungry] that have been key for us all year and we were both of those in the first half.”

Kentucky pulled the match back to within one goal in the 49th minute as Julie Hull and Laura Novikoff found Jenna Goblirsch in front of the box wide open. Goblirsch then beat Blue Devil goalkeeper Cassidy Powers as she found the back, right corner of the goal.

“I was disappointed a little bit in how we came out and started the second half,” said Church. “But I was also happy how we came out because it gave us a first time to see how we would respond to allowing the first goal we have given up all year in four games. I was happy how we responded. I thought we came back and got a hold of the game.”

The Blue Devils wasted no time making the contest a two-goal lead as Gummersall was taken down in the box in the 61st minute by Kentucky defender Katie Fahey, which resulted in a Duke penalty kick. Redmond stepped up and nailed her fifth goal of the season and second of the contest as she beat Hiance to the right corner of the goal.

Duke had a perfect chance to get its fourth goal of the match in the 66th minute as freshman Cody Newman found herself in a one-v-one with Hiance but was stopped.

The Blue Devils concluded the match with a 16-8 shot advantage, but where outshot 5-4 in the second half. Notching her fourth win of the season in goal for Duke was Powers. She finished with two saves in 90 minutes of action. The goal by Kentucky marked the first allowed this season by the Duke defense, breaking a scoreless streak of 319:32 to open the season.

With the three goals scored on the night, Duke now owns 17 goals over the first four contests, which is a new school record. The previous high was 16 in 1989 and 1997. Redmond also notched her third game-winning goal of the season in four matches. She now owns 10 game-winning goals in three years with the Blue Devils.

Duke will close out the Nike Carolina Classic on Sunday, Sept. 7 with a 1:00 p.m., contest against fourth-ranked Notre Dame at Fetzer Field. Notre Dame (4-0) downed third-ranked North Carolina, 1-0, in the nightcap on Friday.

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